Name: Public Auction Yards livestock auction prices — 2022-01-26
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2022-01-26

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Feeder steers were all too lightly tested last week to develop an accurate market trend, however higher undertones were noticed. Heifer calves were too lightly tested last week to trend, however calves under 600 lbs sold with higher undertones and calves over 600 lbs sold with steady to firm undertones. Quality this week was average to attractive. Most calves were offered in average size packages and demand was mostly good to very good throughout todays sale. A good crowd of order buyers was on hand for todays sale and demand improved throughout the sale as buyers pushed to fill loads. The best demand continues to be for cattle suitable to run on grass. Of note, red hided cattle sold on lighter demand than black hided cattle of similar quality. Market activity this week was mostly active. Weigh up cows sold on mostly good demand for light to moderate offerings. Packer buyers showed the best demand for cows this week as they purchased the majority of the cow offering for immediate harvest. Packers pushed to own the majority of the cows on offer. Slaughter cows sold mostly 5.00-7.00 higher on all classes. Too few cows sold to feed this week to develop an accurate market trend, however higher undertones were noticed. Slaughter bulls sold mostly 2.00 higher. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold mostly 5.00-8.00 higher in a narrow comparison. Demand for one iron home-raised offerings continues to be good to very good and these type offerings often top the market for their prospective age. Quality this week was average to attractive and better than last week.

Weight class

Steers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

0–100 lb steers averaged $184.32/cwt on 995 head.

Average price

$184.32

995 head · 612 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,128

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$315

per head · Medium and Large 1 over Medium and Large 2

$41.70/cwt at this weight

vs the market

+0.29

vs MT average

What quality paid 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	611	187.12	1,143	859
Medium and Large 1-2	545	180.62	984	67
Medium 1	737	159.37	1,174	34
Large 1	756	148.50	1,123	16thin
Medium and Large 2	570	145.42	828	19thin

One grade step is worth $41.70/cwt here — about $315 a head. Across this sale the premium is widest at 0–100 lb. USDA reports each grade on its own line and never publishes the spread.

How it compared 0–100 lb

Same class and week · spot auction only

This sale995 hd

184.32

—

MT average3 barns · 2,737 hd

184.03

+0.29

A barn can sit above the state average at one weight and below it at another — check the class you actually sell.

Slaughter cattle

By class and quality grade · $/cwt

Cull cows and bulls are graded, not weight-classed — grade is what moves the money here.

Class	Grade	Dressing	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Bulls	—	High	1,692	85.50	1,447	22
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Average	1,635	66.78	1,092	20
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Low	1,422	62.03	882	108
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Very Low	1,143	54.52	623	119

Every lot, as filed

83 lots · USDA AMS · Public Auction Yards Livestock Cattle Auction - Billings, MT (Wed)

Nothing removed and nothing rounded — the same lots as the USDA report, with per-head values added.

Class	Grade / description	Weight	Avg wt	Price	Range	Per head	Head
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	427	190.73/cwt	186.00–197.00	814	59
Heifers	Large 1	—	773	137.35/cwt	135.00–138.50	1,062	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	478	177.81/cwt	169.00–183.00	850	120
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	526	165.24/cwt	160.00–170.00	869	145
Heifers	Large 1	—	1,015	131.64/cwt	131.00–132.50	1,336	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	722	148.98/cwt	145.00–153.00	1,076	4
Steers	Medium and Large 2	—	672	141.00/cwt	141.00–141.00	948	5
Steers	Large 1	—	756	148.50/cwt	148.50–148.50	1,123	16
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	535	204.28/cwt	194.00–206.00	1,093	142
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	570	187.13/cwt	184.00–196.00	1,067	66
Steers	Medium and Large 1Fancy	—	559	205.50/cwt	205.50–205.50	1,149	16
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	719	144.87/cwt	142.50–148.00	1,042	73
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	618	156.95/cwt	150.50–160.50	970	180
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	418	211.07/cwt	210.00–212.50	882	21
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	587	168.69/cwt	152.00–172.00	990	12
Steers	Medium and Large 2	—	533	147.00/cwt	147.00–147.00	784	14
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	789	156.58/cwt	154.00–162.00	1,235	70
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	623	178.04/cwt	170.00–182.00	1,109	182
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	613	161.36/cwt	146.00–169.50	989	25
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	475	219.99/cwt	207.50–230.00	1,045	90
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	395	221.38/cwt	220.00–222.50	874	11
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	432	226.83/cwt	217.00–235.00	980	21
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	492	203.00/cwt	203.00–203.00	999	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	669	172.18/cwt	170.50–176.50	1,152	144
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	726	166.83/cwt	161.00–168.75	1,211	49
Steers	Medium 1	—	361	210.00/cwt	210.00–210.00	758	7
Steers	Medium 1	—	476	195.00/cwt	195.00–195.00	928	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	835	154.76/cwt	152.00–155.00	1,292	24
Steers	Medium 1	—	925	138.00/cwt	138.00–138.00	1,277	12
Steers	Medium 1	—	865	137.50/cwt	137.50–137.50	1,189	11
Steers	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	447	241.00/cwt	241.00–241.00	1,077	10
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	329	215.00/cwt	215.00–215.00	707	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	854	155.00/cwt	155.00–155.00	1,324	9
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	911	149.00/cwt	149.00–149.00	1,357	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	461	237.00/cwt	237.00–237.00	1,093	12
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	—	727	129.00/cwt	129.00–129.00	938	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	—	778	128.00/cwt	128.00–128.00	996	5
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	950	125.00/cwt	125.00–125.00	1,188	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	585	153.00/cwt	153.00–153.00	895	27
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	772	133.60/cwt	131.00–137.00	1,031	19
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	408	155.00/cwt	155.00–155.00	632	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,442	56.51/cwt	52.00–59.00	815	19
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,207	36.36/cwt	32.00–44.00	439	3
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,171	52.02/cwt	47.00–57.00	609	45
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	981	50.70/cwt	46.00–51.00	497	17
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,290	67.00/cwt	67.00–67.00	864	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,600	73.00/cwt	73.00–73.00	1,168	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,383	62.98/cwt	59.50–66.00	871	65
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,511	63.84/cwt	63.00–64.00	965	24
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,170	58.76/cwt	57.00–64.00	687	52
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,588	69.76/cwt	68.50–72.00	1,108	7
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,665	64.52/cwt	60.00–67.00	1,074	12
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	920	54.00/cwt	54.00–54.00	497	1
Bulls	—	—	2,320	95.26/cwt	94.00–96.50	2,210	2
Bulls	—	—	1,930	85.82/cwt	84.00–88.00	1,656	5
Bulls	—	—	1,591	74.95/cwt	71.00–82.00	1,192	6
Bulls	—Heavy Weight	—	2,515	89.50/cwt	89.50–89.50	2,251	1
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,359	90.28/cwt	90.00–92.00	1,227	8
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	940	90.50/cwt	64.00–99.00	851	72
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	995	92.05/cwt	81.00–115.00	916	41
Stock Cows	Large 1	—	1,110	65.00/cwt	65.00–65.00	722	4
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	900	58.00/cwt	58.00–58.00	522	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,255	1,100.00/cwt	1,100.00–1,100.00	13,805	10
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,253	883.05/cwt	875.00–900.00	11,065	3
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,216	70.00/cwt	70.00–70.00	851	5
Heifers	Large 1	—	667	143.00/cwt	143.00–143.00	954	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	656	145.55/cwt	145.00–147.00	955	11
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Full	—	668	140.35/cwt	136.00–142.00	938	32
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Full	—	575	152.00/cwt	152.00–152.00	874	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	—	537	158.50/cwt	158.50–158.50	851	15
Heifers	Large 1Fancy	—	1,122	130.00/cwt	130.00–130.00	1,459	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fancy	—	566	170.50/cwt	170.50–170.50	965	22
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	—	531	135.64/cwt	135.00–137.00	720	25
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	482	159.05/cwt	150.00–167.50	767	36
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	580	154.20/cwt	150.00–157.50	894	16
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	623	146.00/cwt	146.00–146.00	910	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	426	162.41/cwt	157.50–166.00	692	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	516	155.58/cwt	147.50–159.00	803	12
Heifers	Medium 1	—	448	154.00/cwt	154.00–154.00	690	8
Heifers	Medium 1	—	500	155.00/cwt	155.00–155.00	775	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	823	140.71/cwt	139.00–142.00	1,158	42
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	368	189.00/cwt	189.00–189.00	696	16
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	569	162.04/cwt	158.00–166.50	922	127

How this sale compares

Montana weighted averages

One sale is one barn on one day. The state ladder is every Montana auction USDA reported that week, weighted by head — the fairer test of whether a lot sold well.

Montana feeder prices, every weight →Every state and region →